Ash and Petals
by Jaaawsh
Summary: Haruhi Fujioka is a skaa tomboy and the daughter of Kelsier and Mare. She goes to Ouran High, Luthadel's most expensive Noble-only school. Will she survive? Will she fall in love?


Haruhi Fujioka walked along the cobblestone road, careful not to take up too much space of draw attention. She tried to be as small, weightless and inconsequential as a falling ash. It was morning, last nights cool mists were draining from the streets, being gradually replaced by crowds of Skaa workers on their way to the factories. She was wearing her school uniform, and by all accounts she should have stood out as Nobility; an easy target for thieves. She noticed every concealed weapon around her, some either lazy or novice, some invisible yet only given away by a faint blue line reaching towards the hilt of a hidden blade. She wore her hair cut short like a boy, to avoid it being grabbed and used against her, and she had smeared some soot that had collected by her doorstep onto her face, as other girls wore make-up. She couldn't afford to stand out. On the streets, she had to be a Skaa, safety in numbers.

This morning, however, marked the beginning of her first day at Ouran High, the most expensive school in the Final Empire, where the heir to every major house was educated. Needless to say, Skaa were forbidden from even a cheap education. If they found out that her mother was a Skaa, she wouldn't be expelled; she'd be executed (No matter how good her grades were, no matter how good a person her mother was).

She reminds herself that the moment she arrives at the High School, she'd have to wash the ash from her face and present herself as an ordinary but spoilt girl. Butterflies begin to gather in her belly, crowding amongst her metal reserves. Ordinary but spoilt, she runs the words through her head, like an actor getting into character. Despite the fact that the part she played was that of a background character without words. She couldn't afford to stand out- not anywhere.

Rumbles grew, the sound of a speeding carriage. The crowded street instinctively split down the middle, workers grumbling. Haruhi flared Pewter to jump out of the way, just as a black carriage pulled by two horses sped past like thinder and lightning, or stampeding Koloss. In a split second as it past, in the back she glimpsed a blonde teenage boy.

'Phew. Hopefully,' she whispered 'that's the most danger I'm in today.' Just as the crowd melded back together, two more carriages rumbled through, heading the same way. The two identical black carriages each had an identical ginger boy leaning out of the side, in her own school uniform.

_'We'll catch you Tamakiiiiiiiiii-!'_

Haruhi wondered for a moment if the earliest carriage had knocked her unconscious, making her see double. She kept walking to school, following the path of the carriages.

The ash continued to fall, the same as ever. When she reached Oran High, Haruhi was shocked to find something else falling gently onto the stone. Bits from trees. Even more surprisingly, they were bright purple. Petals, she remembered. She had seen a drawing of purple petals in a frame at home. There weren't any trees this alive, this colourful anywhere else in the Empire. It looked like a Noble girl's favourite dress had been torn into a million pieces, gently floating on the wind, thicker even than the ash. This school really must be special, she thought.

Haruhi sat down at her desk with her pens and books. She had extinguished her metals, not needing any strength, enhanced senses or blue lines. If she was ready for anything, it was to learn. Two boys entered the room laughing. They both looked the same, down to their identical orange hairstyles. Haruhi instantly recognised them as the boys from the carriages. 'Buffoons!' she thought, grumbling inside herself. Then she sensed something. She was getting less annoyed. She should be infuriated at those reckless, spoilt idiots, but it had faded away. She knew what it was at once; that sensation that grew the closer you get to Kredik Shaw. This morning, it had gotten closer, and she had gotten closer to it. The thought should have made her terrified, but it couldn't. Knowing this, she forced against it to be more fearful, more worried. It was so close-

Suddenly, it stopped. The Push on her emotions had ceased, as if a light had been uncovered. She visibly shook with fear,

'Good morning class!' announced a happy, smiling face. He was young, it looked like he had only recently graduated himself. He was tall, with black hair and a cute fringe. His suit must have been very, very expensive; pitch black and with a brilliant white pattern on his waistcoat. If he wasn't such a ridiculous Nobleman, Haruhi might have already had a crush on him. She was instantly reminded of those comics where the schoolgirl falls madly, ridiculously in love with the teacher.

'I'm your God, but today I'm much more excited to be your teacher! You may call me Professor Lord-Ruler-Senpai' He went to write exactly that on the board but only got up to "Prof. Lord Ru-"

'Alright, that might be a little too long. Maybe too pretentious? I think Lord-senpai will do just fine.' As he finished speaking, the students still hadn't processed the information. You'd have to be a zinc compounder to get over the shock so quickly.

'Oh kids, don't worry' he laughed, waving his hand in sheepish dismissal. 'I'm not so scary. Sure, all the things you've heard about me are true, but I'm a good guy. Now who's ready to learn?' The class still hadn't managed to take a breath yet. Except, apparently for those twins. Behind Haruhi, two hands were raised.

'Yes?' Lord-senpai asked.

'You're too young! You have to prove it first, do something godly!' the boys teased.

The Lord Ruler paused, silent. He stared deep into the boys eyes, one then the other. The cold stare passed directly over Haruhi's head, like a dagger being steelpushed. After what felt like another thousand years, Lord-senpai let out a giggle.

_'You want me to prove it?'_ he teased, enjoying himself. 'You want me to prove that I'm really, really old?'

'Uhh...' the twins sounded in chorus, regretting their decision to play with their God. Lord-senpai, in a moment, grew in age. His hair went white, wrinkles growing, stemming like tree-roots from around his eyes until they covered his face. His posture bent over. He had become the oldest person the class had ever seen alive, but it continued. A thousand years were now visible on his face. He raised his hand, fingers fragile like the thinnest branches, and clicked his fingers. In a moment, he was young and handsome again; the very same man.

'Or, would you like me to prove that I'm... _powerful?_' a devilish smile on his face.

'No thank you!' the twins shouted in unison, shaking their heads wildly. 'No thank you Lord Ruler senpai!'

'Relax! I'll show you more powers another day. Maybe you'll see what I can do if you ever get yourselves into...' he narrowed his eyes, **_'detention.'_** The entire class gulped in unison. 'You'll be fine, kids. The trick to school is to relax and always do your best!' He gave the class an enthusiastic thumbs up. The class, free from any emotional Allomancy, gave a cheer and applauded their new teacher.

'This is going to be an interesting year' thought Haruhi.

'Now, let's get this show on the road. Who'd like to tell me something about algebra?'


End file.
